"So, Jon," friends often come up to me and ask, "just why does the Harvard women's basketball team have an 8-16 record?"

Until now, I've just winked and jabbed my temple with a forefinger, a bluff which is tremendously effective.

'Ah," they think, "he knows the answer, but doesn't want to tell. Wow, it must be really explosive, and he's probably waiting to spring it as a front-page Crimson exclusive."

Actually, my gesture has been equivalent to, "your guess is as good as mine."

There are some obvious factors behind the record--like youth (six freshmen) and road troubles (where Harvard is 0-12)--but there has to be a more specific reason.

And now I think I've found it

Free throws

That's right, tree throws. Say the words over to yourself. "Free throws "Caress them with your tongue. Get used to them because they're going to play a key role in the rest of this column.

The Crimson has been outscored 391-237 from the foul line this year, or by an average of six-and-a-half points (16.3 points per game to 9.9 ppg) in each of its 24 contests.

Overall, the cagers have been outscored 1569-1489, or an average of only three-and-a-half points per game (65.4 ppg--62.0 ppg).

Take away the free throw differential, and Harvard would be outscoring its opponents by three points a game Not a lot, but certainly enough to produce an above 500 team

In the eight games that the hoopsters have won, they've outscored their opponents from the charity stripe four times.

But in each of the 16 Crimson defeats, the opposition has hit for more points from the foul line than the Cantaps.

Put another way. Harvard is 4-0 when it converts more free throws than its opponents, but only 4-16 when it gets outscored from the line.

In fact, in eight of the cagers' 16 losses, their free throw deficit has been more than the margin of defeat.